State Supreme Court Shoots Down Redistricting Plan

The state supreme court shot down a plan to change the way political districts are drawn up on Oklahoma. Backers of the plan said it’s a minor setback. 

The group, People Not Politicians, filed a petition that would put a measure on the November ballot. Backers said it would have taken the politics out of drawing up legislative districts.  Justices ruled the information in the petition just wasn’t enough.

Members of People Not Politicians said current law allow politicians to draw up legislative districts behind closed doors in a way that helps them stay in power. 

State question 804 would set up a citizen committee to do that.  But the state supreme court ruled, the gist of the petition to get the measure on the ballot did not contain the right information.  In the ruling, justices said, “…we find the gist fails to alert potential signatories about the true nature of the constitutional amendment.”

Attorney Robert McCampbell argued against the measure.

“What our supreme court has always done is to protect the voters in the process.  And what they’re saying here is if Oklahomans are asked to sign the petition, they deserve fair notice of what’s actually in the petition,” he said.

“We’re really excited that the court upheld the constitutionality of the measure.  They did have some changes that we need to make to the gist which is great.  We appreciate those and we’ll incorporate those and refile as soon as we can.”

People Not Politicians plans to refile Wednesday and still plan to have a state question on the November ballot.